Transport advocacy group warns new bike lanes will spark congestion, ‘safety risks’
New bike lanes set to open across the city will create congestion and risk pedestrian safety, according to the chief of the Victorian Transport Association.
Victoria
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The installation of new protected bike lanes on key city thoroughfares could lead to road congestion and safety risks, according to a leading transport advocacy group.
The City of Melbourne is planning to install protected bike lanes on Flinders St and Bourke St, which would see traffic lanes reduced and parking spaces removed in some areas.
The council paused the rollout of new protected bike lanes on the Hoddle St grid for 12 months in June but is expected to ramp up cycling infrastructure works later this year.
Victorian Transport Association chief executive Peter Anderson said the size and scale of the bike lanes would result in “fewer lanes for cars, fewer car parks for shoppers, and fewer loading zones for delivery vehicles”.
“While we support the protection of cyclists … this translates into lost income for retailers and cafes, and safety risks for pedestrians, because fewer loading zones means deliveries are having to be hand-carted on trolley jacks on crowded footpaths,” Mr Anderson said.
“It also creates more congestion because trucks are having to search longer for loading zones to deliver essential goods.”
The kerbside protected bike lanes proposed for Flinders St will run all the way from Siddeley St to Spring St, causing “moderate impact” to traffic lanes.
The bike route is set to improve cycling connections between Docklands and Fishermans Bend, and the central city and Southbank.
Proposed bike lanes on Bourke St and Spring St will connect existing routes on Albert St to Exhibition St and cause “some traffic lane reduction at intersections”.
Right turns from Spring St onto Bourke St would also be restricted, while 11 parking bays will be removed to make way for connecting bike paths on Nicholson St.
The council plans to use road markings on sections of Bourke and Spring Streets that are not wide enough to accommodate separated bike and traffic lanes.
The City of Melbourne has made progress on design works for new bike lanes, including the Flinders St route, which are expected to be confirmed over the coming year.
Residents will be able to provide feedback on the new designs when they are announced.
The council has installed 19km of bike lanes to date, including on Exhibition, Latrobe, Swanston and Spencer Streets.
It plans to fast track 44km of protected bike lanes in total “to give more people the option to leave the car at home”.
Bicycle Network chief executive Alison McCormack said it was “critically important” the Flinders St bike project went ahead to ensure commuters “have their own connected, protected bike lane to get them to work, shops and restaurants”.
Fast tracking the protected bike lanes forms a key part of the council’s Climate and Biodiversity Emergency Plan and have been endorsed as part of its Transport Strategy 2030.
alexandra.middleton@news.com.au
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